Alex Pineda Chacón

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Roster photo of Alex Pineda Chacón.

Alex Pineda Chacón (born December 19, 1969 in Santa Cruz, Honduras) is a football (soccer) player, who, as of 2005, plays for the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL First Division.

Pineda Chacon spent most of his career with Club Olimpia of Honduras, joining the side in 1988, and leading the team to six Honduran championships, five Central American championships, and one CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1988. He also played with UA Tamaulipas of Mexico during the 1993-94 season, and Sporting Cristal of Peru during their 1994-95 season, appearing in four Copa Libertadores matches.

Pineda Chacon came to America in 2001, joining the Miami Fusion in what would be their last season in Major League Soccer. During that season, Pineda Chacon played a crucial role in the attacking midfield of a team stacked with offensive talent, including Preki, Diego Serna, Ian Bishop, and Chris Henderson. During that season, Pineda Chacon registered 19 goals and 9 assists for the team (leading the league in goals and points), leading them to a tie for first place in MLS for the regular season, and was recognized with the MLS MVP Award.

Unfortunately for Pineda Chacon, the Fusion were contracted after the 2001 season, and he was unable to recapture the form that served him so well his first year. He was picked up by the New England Revolution in the 2002 MLS Dispersal Draft, but the emergence of Taylor Twellman and the arrival of a distinctly English style from new manager Steve Nicol meant that Pineda Chacon did not have much of a role to play for the team. Pineda Chacon moved to the Columbus Crew after the 2002 season, but the emergence of Kyle Martino saw him relegated to a backup role, and a trade to the Los Angeles Galaxy did nothing to improve his fortunes.

After the 2003 season, Pineda Chacon, without a place in MLS, moved to the A-League, where he found plenty of playing time for a surprising Silverbacks team that just missed the playoffs. Although he only registered 3 goals and 2 assists in 2004, Pineda Chacon's leadership was recognized with election to the All-League first team.